Operating mechanism for a plural barrel rifle with a feeding rotor



March 28, 19161 I D Ch FLETCHER 2,976,770

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A PLURAL BARREL RIFLE WITH A FEEDING ROTOR Filed Nov. 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y. ru l a THW A 7 N N ',zl g 2- 2a u1 """I *"q v n n 1 r. N Ln I" Ln A f V l 2- Il L P r, l *1 7 U w of m d. ...M y f LIII-I o m I IN VEN TOR.

Envi E Fle che? BY March 28, 1961 D, C, FLETCHER 2,976,770

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A RLURAL BARREL RIFLE WITH A EEEDING RoToR Filed Nov. 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i IOO INVENToR.

|42 Iluvid E leuher 'OPERATING MECHANSM FOR A PLURAL B i` r.; i` 4 L LE WITH A FEEDNG ROTOR David C. Fletcher, Springfield, Mass., assigner to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army The invention described herein may be manufactured and/or used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

l This invention relates to shoulder arms having a plurality of barrels which are fired simultaneously and more particularly to the operating m-echanism therefor.

In ordnance, efforts are continually being made to increase the eiciency of the infantry rifleman. One answer to the problem was to make the rines automatic and rapid fire. It has been found, however, that automatic rifles are not as eiiicient as is desired because of the decrease in the accuracy of the tire after the initial round is fired because it is difiicult to keep the rifle on target. It has been sought, therefore, to increase the efliciency of the rifleman by providing him with a rifle with multiple barrels which may be fired simultaneously so that a greater target area may be covered with the first fire when the aim of the rifle is the most accurate. With suc-h salvo rifles, one of the design problems is related to the operating mechanism whereby the cartridges are chambered into the several barrels, fired and extracted simultaneously.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide for rifles having multiple barrels an operating mechanism whereby cartridges supplied by a feeding rotor are simultaneously chambered by the bolt with the feeding rotor rotatably locking the bolt in battery after the cartridges in the rotor have been chambered in the barrels.

lt is another object of this invention to provide a bolt having a hub with breech closure portions extending therefrom which simultaneously close the breeches of the several barrels.

It is still another object of this invention to provide in the feeding rotor strikers for actuating the tiring pins in breech closure portions of the bolt after the feeding rotor has been rotated to lock the bolt in battery.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an operating mechanism whereby the feeding rotor having a pluralityn of secondary chambers corresponding to the barrel chambers is rotated by a gas-actuated operating rod yfor loading the secondary chambers and aligning them with their respective barrels, maintaining the secondary chambers in alignment with the barrels while the bolt is moved forward to simultaneously chamber the cartridges in the rotor in the barrels, and then rotating the rotor to block rearward `movement of the bolt when the chambered cartridges are fired.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide lfor each of the breech closure portions of the bolt an integral extractor which remains in engagement with the cartridges from the time that they enter the feeding rotor 'until they are ejected therefrom and which cooperate in holding the bolt against rotation when in battery.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the laccompanying drawings in which:

2,976,770 Patented Mar. ZS, i951 Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectioned view of a rie showing the bolt in battery position and the strikers cocked;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectioned view showing the front part of the rie with the attached gas cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectioned view showing the position of the parts in the operating mechanism with the bolt between retracted and battery positions;

Fig. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view taken along line 5 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. l but showing the rounds being fed into secondary chamber; and

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the rotor-bolt assembly.

Shown in the figures is a rifle having a tubular receiver 12 with an integral stock portion 14 formed in the rear end of the tube from which the receiver is fabricated. A breech ring 16 is detachably mounted to the front end of receiver 12 by means of bayonet lugs to provide the support for the breech ends of three barrels 20 which are threadably mounted through such breech ring so that the bores communicate with the inside of the receiver. Barrels 2li are mounted to breech ring 16 so that the axes form an isosceles triangle with the uppermost one lying in the vertical plane of the firearm and the lower two being disposed slightly below the longitudinal axis of receiver 12.

Provided through the center of breech ring 16 is a hole 22 which slidingly receives an operating rod 24. The front end of operating rod 24 is terminated by a piston 26 which cooperates with a gas cylinder 28 attached by Va bracket 30 to the top one of barrels 20. A passage 32 vprovides passage for gas-es from such barrel through bracket 30 to gas cylinder 28 for actuation of piston 26 rearwardly when the rifle is fired. If desired, gases may be bled from all three barrels by providing suitable passage means therefrom to cylinder 28.

Provided in stock portion 14 between the rear end thereof and receiver 12 is a transversal wall 34 through which there is mounted a bearing 36 for slidably supporting the rear portion of operating rod 24 which extends therethrough. Such rear portion of operating rod 24 is reduced in diameter, as noted at 38, to a position for wardly of wall 34 and such reduced portion is terminated by an annular shoulder 40. Slidably mounted on reduced diameter portion 38 forwardly of wall 34 is a sleeve 42, the bore of which is counterbored to form a shoulder 46 Ywhich is engageable with shoulder 40 on operating rod 24 to limit `forward movement of such sleeve. A compressible coil spring 48 is mounted on reduced diameter portion 38 between sleeve 42 and bearing support 36 for maintaining the shoulders 40` and 46 in engagement and for biasing operating rod 24 forwardly.

The rear end of operating rod 24 is engageable by a suitable buffer assembly provided in the rear portion of stock portion 14 to stop the rearward movement of such operating rod before spring 48 is completely compressed. Operating rod 24 is held against rotation through the cooperation of a pair of diametrically-opposed flats 52 thereon with a pair of mating flats (not shown) in a bracket 56 mounted between the two bottom barrels 20, Operating rod 24 is also provided with three cam grooves S8, which are spaced equidistantly around the circumference thereof and three lugs 60, which extend radially from the land portions formed by the cam grooves. The cam grooves 58 include a spiral loading portion A, a chamberin-g portion B which extends rearwardly therefrom parallel to the axes of operating rod 24, a spiral locking portion C which extends rearwardly from chambering portion B and a straight dwell portion D as is best shown by Fig. 1 and is further explained hereafter.

Cartridges are supplied to the rifle by means of a boxtype magazine 62 which holds two columns of cartridges in staggered relationship. Magazine 62 is attached to receiver 12 by means of a magazine well 64 which is mounted in the lower portion of receiver 12 to provide elommunication between the magazine and the inside of the receiver. Magazine VWell 64 is provided with apair of laterally-spaced and longitudinally-disposed sides 66 which converge angularly toward each other, whereby the two columns of cartridges in magazine 62 are funneled into a single column as they are biased from the magazine into receiver 12 by a spring-loaded follower 68.

The cartridges are delivered from magazine 62 through magazine well 64 to a cylindrical rotor 70 which is mounted `for rotation in the front end of receiver12. An annular liange 72-isl provided around the circumference on the front end of rotor 7tl` to form an annular shoulder 74 which cooperates with an annular shoulder 76 in receiver 12 to prevent rearward movement of such rotor. Flange 72 extends forwardly from the front end of rotor 70 to rotatingly engage the rear face of breech ring 16 to prevent forward movement of the rotor and to form a cylindrical chamber 78 between the front face of the rotor and the rear face of the breech ring. An axial bore 80 through rotor 70 permits sliding passage of operating rod 24 therethrough and such bore is counterbored from the front end, as noted at 82, yfor a purposeto be explained hereinafter. Three pins 83' extend radially into bore 80V for sliding engagement with the cam grooves 58 in operating rod 24 for rotating rotor 70, as hereinafter described.

Provided in rotor '70 are three secondary chambers 84 which are spaced according to the chambers of the three barrels 20 so as to be simultaneously alignable therewith. Each of the secondary Vchambers 84 is bored so that a cartridge received therein is slidable into the chamber of the respective barrel. The cartridges are receivable into the secondary chambers 84 from magazine Well 64 during rotation of rotor 70 through ports 86 which extend into such secondary chambers for the periphery of the rotor.

Mounted for slidable movement in rotor 70 is a bolt 88 which includes a cylindrical hub portion 90 which is of approximately the same diameter as counterbore 82 so as to be slidable and rotatable therein and which is bored, as noted at 92, for passage of operating rod 24 and the lugs 60 therethrough. An annular flange 94 is provided at the rear end of bore 92 and is'engageable by the lugs 60 to transfer rearward movement of operating rod 24 to bolt 88, and such ange is provided with recesses 96 to permit passage of the lugs therethrough when aligned therewith. Bolt 88 also includes three breech closure portions 98 which are slidable in the secondary chambers 84 and are receivable by chamber 78 when bolt 88 is in battery position. Arm portions ltl extend radially from hub portion 90 to connect the breech closure portions 98 thereto, and suitable openings 102 in rotor 72 between the secondary chambers 84 vand counterbore 82 receive such arm portions to permit slidable movement of bolt 88 between battery and retracted positions.

Each of the breech closure portions 98 is provided with a semicylindrical portion 164, which is centrally and integrally connected to the cooperating one of the arm portions 106, and a semicylindrical portion 106 of smaller diameter, which has a radius simi-lar to that of the cartridges. Semicylindrical portion 104 is arranged to extend forwardly Ifrom the smaller semicylindrical portion '106, and the ledge portion formed thereby is cut arcuately away to form, with the front face of such smaller diameter portion, a substantially circular portion which is engageable with the base of the cartridges and an extractor portion 110. The inside of extractor portion 110 is provided with a groove 112 which is arranged to receive the extractor flanges of the cartridges when entering the secondary chambers 84 through the ports 86 when bolt 88 is in retracted position. To insure engagement of the extractor flanges of the cartridges by the grooves 112 when the cartridges enterthe secondary chambers 84, the portions of the ports Sdfwhich are forward of the breech closure portions 98, when bolt 88 is in retracted position, are shaped according to the longitudinal silhouette of the cartridges. The bores of the secondary chambers 84 are shaped according t-o the cross-sectional area of the breech closure portions 98 to slidingly support bolt 88 and prevent rotational movement thereof while away from battery, and the rear face of the breech ring 16 is provided with recesses 114 for receiving the extractor portions 118 therein when bolt 88 is in battery to block the bolt against rotation when the breech closure portions are in chamber 78. When in battery, bolt 88 is vfurther supported by the engagement of the rear end of the rear hub portion with counterbore 82.

In each of the breech closure portions 98, a tiring pin 116 is mounted for slidable movement in a bore provided axially therethrough, and a chordal pin 118 cooperates with a flat 120 on such tiring pin to limit the longitudinal movement thereof. The front ends of firing pins 116 are rounded so that the firing pins are retracted by the camming engagement thereof with the extractor ilanges of the cartridges when entering secondary chamber 84. The rear ends of the ring pins 116 extend rearwardly from the breech closure portions 98 sufficiently to re the chambered cartridges when struck.

Each of the ring pins 116 is actuatable by a respective striker 122 which is mounted in a longitudinal cylindrical hole in rotor 7 il so that the axis is approximately 47 away from the axis of the respective tiring pins, in a counterclockwise direction, when the breech closure portions 98 are within the secondary chambers 84. Each of such holes includes a bore 126, which extends forwardly from the rear end of Vrotor 70 to an annular shoulder 128, and a cylindrical aperture of smaller diameter, which extends from the end of bore 126 to the front face of such rotor. Each of the strikers 122 includes a rod portion 132, which is slidably received by respective ones of the apertures 130, and an integral collar portion 134, which is positioned on such rod portion so that when in engagement with shoulder 128, the front end of such rod portion is engageable with the respective firing pin 116 when aligned therewith. Collar portion 134 has a diameter similar to that of bore 126 and thereby slidingly supports the frontend of such striker. A compressible coil spring 136 is mounted on rod portion 132 rearwardly of collar 134 with the front end having engagement with such collar. A sleeve 138 is received by bore 126 and is secured therein by suitable locking means to engage the rear end of spring 136 for biasing the striker 122 forwardly, and such sleeve is provided` with an axial cylindrical hole 140 which serves as a bearing to slidingly support the rear end of striker 122.

The strikers 122 are retracted simultaneously against the biases of springs 136 and are released together to strike their respective tiring pins 116 when bolt 88 is in battery by a sear and trigger mechanism which is disclosed in copending application Serial No. 621,486, filed November 9, 1956.

Bolt 88 is moved from retracted to battery position by the engagement of lugs 60 on operating rod 24 with a chambering ring 142 which is rotatably mounted in a diametrical slot 143 in hub portion 90. Chambering ring 142 is arranged to be engaged by lugs 6i) after rotor 70 has been rotated by the cooperation of loading portions A of cam grooves 58 to the chambering position, wherein the secondary chambers 84 are aligned with their respective barrels during movement of operating rod 24 to battery'position. Then, while the secondary chambers 84 are held in alignment with the barrels 20 through the cooperation of the pins 83 with the chambering portions B, bolt 88 is moved forwardly during uninterrupted forward travel of operating rod 24 so that the breech closure portions 98 chamber the cartridges from the secondary chambers 84. A follower portion 144 extends from the outer circumference of chambering ring 142 to be slidingly cooperable with a cam track 146 provided in the wall of the counterbore 82. Cam track 146 is generated so that when bolt 88 moves to battery position chambering ring 142 is rotated to align recesses 148 provided therein with the lugs 60 and thereby free the bolt from operating rod 24 which may continue uninterrupted to forward position.

After reaching battery position, bolt 88 is locked therein by the rotation of rotor 70 to lock position in back of the breech closure portions 98 through the cooperation of pins 83 with the locking portion C of the camgrooves during the continued travel of operating rod 24 after bolt 88 has been disconnected therefrom. When rotor 70 is bolt 88, the strikers 122 are aligned with their respective firing pins 116 `for actuation thereof to tire the chambered cartridges when the sear and trigger mechanism (not shown or disclosed herein) is operated.

During movement of operating rod 24 from forward to rearward position, responsive to exploded gases received by gas cylinder 28, rotor 70 is rotated, after pins 83 pass along the dwell portions D of the cam grooves 58, by the cooperation of such pins with locking portions C of cam grooves 58 so that the secondary chambers 84 are in position to receive the breech closure portions 98 when lugs 60 on operating rod 24 engage flange 94 and move bolt 88 rearwardly. When bolt 88 is fully `retracted in rotor 70 and they start to rotate together by the reception of pins 83 in the loading portions A of v4the cam grooves 58, recesses 96 in ange 94 come into alignment with lugs 60 which pass therethrough, permitting uninterrupted travel of operating rod 24 rearwardly to rotate rotor 70 and bolt 88 for unloading the tired cartridges from the secondary chambers 84 by an ejector means, not part of this invention, and the loading of the secondary chambers from magazine well 64. The bolt mechanism of this invention operates as follows, starting with the firing of the cartridges chambered in barrels 20 by the trigger and sear mechanism (not shown). The resulting gases enter gas cylinder 28 to energize piston 26 which moves operating rod 24 rearwardly. During the initial travel of operating rod 24, the locking portions C of the cam grooves 58 cooperate `with the pins 83 to rotate rotor 70` to the chambering position, wherein the secondary chambers 84 are in line with the breech closure portion 98, so that when the lugs 6i) on the operating rod engage flange 94, bolt 88 is unblocked and free to be moved rearwardly into rotor 70. As bolt 88 moves rearwardly, extractor portions 110, which are in engagement with the extractor flanges of the chambered cartridges, extract the fired cartridge cases from the barrels and retract them into the secondary chambers 84.

While bolt 88 is moved rearwardly into rotor 70, such rotor is held against rotation by the sliding engagement of the pins S3 along chambering portions B of the cam grooves 58. When bolt 88 is fully retracted, the pins V83 enter the loading portions A of the cam grooves 58 and, as rotor 7 0 and bolt 88 begin their resulting rotation together, the recesses 96 in flange 94 align with the lugs 60 which pass therethrough and so disconnect the bolt from the operating rod. As such operating rod continues uninterrnptedly rearward, the loading portions A of the cam grooves 58 rotate rotor 70 so that all of the secondary chambers 84 are emptied by an ejector device, not

part of this invention, and the emptied secondary chambers pass by magazine well 74 so as to be reloaded therethrough from magazine 62. As the cartridges enter the 4Vin lockedi'positin, blocking the rearward movement of After operating rod 24 is stopped by the buffer assembly (not shown) and starts its forward travel under the compulsion of spring 48, rotor 70 is counterrotated by the loading portions A of cam grooves 58 so that when the operating rod has moved forwardly to where the lugs 83 enter the chambering portions B, secondary chambers 84 are aligned with the chambers of their respective barrels 20. As lugs come adjacent hub portion 90 of bolt 88, the recesses 96 in flange 94 are aligned with such lugs which pass freely therethrough to engage chambering ring 142 when the pins 83 enter the chambering portions B. The continued forward movement of bolt 88 causes the breech closure portions 98, positioned behind the cartridges in the secondary chambers 84, to move such cartridges forward into the chambers of barrels 20. When bolt 88 is in battery position, the breech closure portions 98 are move'diout of rotor 70 into chamber 78 but the bolt is held against rotation by the extractor portions 110 being received by the recesses 114 in the breeches of the barrels 20 when rotor 7 0, through the cooperation of locking portions C during continued forward travel of operating rod 24, rotates the rotor in back of the breech closure portions to block rearward movement of the bolt when the chambered cartridges are tired. When rotor is in full lock position, the strikers 122 are in alignment with tiring pins 116 and are actuatable thereagainst to fire the chambered cartridges.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim: r

l. A rifle having a receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto, a plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers mounted to said receiver, a rotor rotatably mounted in said receiver and provided with secondary chambers alignable with respective chambers in said barrels for receiving cartridges from said magazine when said rotor is rotated, bolt means slidable in said rotor between a battery and a retracted position for moving the cartridges simultaneously between said secondary chambers and said cartridge chambers, an operating rod movable between a forward and a rearward position in response to the tiring of the rifle, cam means cooperating with said rotor and said operating rod for rotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers and aligning said secondary chambers with their respective cartridge charnbers, and lug means on said operating rod engageable with said bolt means for transferring movement of said operating rod to said bolt when said secondary chambers are rotated into alignment with their respective cartridge chambers.

2. In a rie having a receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto and a plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers, a rotor rotatably mounted in the receiver and provided with secondary chambers alignable with respective chambers in the barrels for receiving cartridges from the magazine when said rotor is rotated, bolt means slidable in said rotor between a battery and a retracted position for moving the cartridges simultaneously between said secondary chambers and the chambers in the barrels, an operating rod movable between a forward and a rearward position in response to the firing of the rifle, cam means cooperating with said rotor and said operating rod for rotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers and aligning said secondary chambers with their respective cartridge chambers, lug means on said operating rod engageable with said bolt means for transferring movement of said operating rod to said bolt when said secondary chambers are rotated into alignment with their respective cartridge chambers, and means rotated by said rotor for disengaging said operating-rod from said bolt means when said bolt approaches battery position to permit said operating rod to proceed uninterruptedly to the forward position.

' 3. In a rie havinga receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto and a plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers, a rotor rotatably mounted in the receiver and being provided with secondary chambers alignable with respective cartridge chambers for receiving cartridges from the magazine when said :rotor is rotated, bolt means slidable in said rotor between a battery and `a retracted position for moving the cartridges simultaneously between said secondary` cham-bers and the cartridge chambers and being joined with said rotor when away from battery position for rotation therewith, an operating rodv movable between a forward and a rearward position in response to the firing of the rifle, pin means on said rotor, cam grooves on said operating rod operationally cooperable with said pin means for nrotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers and aligning the loaded secondary chambers with their respective cartridge chambers during movement of said operating rod, lug means on said operating rod engageable with said bolt for transferring movement of said operating rod to said bolt after the secondary chambers are aligned with their respective cartridge chambers, means for disengagin'g said *bolt means from said lug means when said bolt reaches battery position to permit said yoperating rod to proceed uninterruptedly to the forward position, and a portion of said cam groove cooperable wit-h said pin means for rotating said rotor relative to said bolt means to block rearward movement thereof after reaching the battery position.

4. In a rie having a receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto and a plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers, a rotor rotatably mounted in the receiver and provided with secondary chambers aligna'b'le with respective cartridge chambers for receiving cartridges from the magazine when said rotor is rotated, bolt means slidable in said rotor between a battery and a retracted position for moving the cartridges simultaneously between said secondary chambers and the cartridge chambers and being joined with said rotor when away from battery position for rotation therewith, an operating rod movable between a forward and a rearward position in response to the firing of the rifle, pin means on said rotor, cam grooves on said operating rod operationally cooperable with said pin means for rotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers and aligning the loaded secondary chambers with their respective cartridge chambers during movement of said operating rod, lug means on said operating rod engageable with said bolt for transferring movement of said operating rod to said bolt after the secondary chambers are aligned with their respective cartridge chambers, means for disenga-ging said bolt means from said lng means when said bolt reaches battery position to permit said operating rod to proceed uninterruptedly to the forward position, a porvtion of said cam grooves cooperable with said pin means for rotating said rotor relative to said bolt means to block rearward movement thereof after reaching the battery position, tiring pins slidably mounted in said bolt 'means foi actuation against each of the cartridges chambered in the barrels, and striker means in said rotor alignable with said firing pins when said rotor is rotated to llock said bolt in battery position for ring the chambered cartridges.

5,. The device of claim 4 wherein the means for disengaging said bolt means from said lug means when said bolt means approaches battery position includes a cylindrical hub portion on said bolt means, an axial bore through said hub portion to slidingly receive said operating rod and permit passage of said lug means therethrough, a slot in said hub portion traversing said bore,

.a ring rotatably mounted in said slot for slidably receiving said operating rod and being engageable by said lug means for transferring movement of said operating rod to the forward position thereof to said bolt means, recesses navarro through said ring for passing said lng means therethrough when aligned therewith, a follower portion extending from the periphery of said ring, and a cam track in said rotor for slidably receiving said follower portion, said cam track being so -generated that as said bolt approaches said battery position said ring is rotated -to align said recesses with said `lug means to permit passage of said lug means therethrough.

6. In `a rifle having a receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto and a plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers, a rotor rotatably mounted in the receiver and provided with secondary chambers alignable with respective cartridge chambers for receiving cartridges from' the magazine when said rotor is rotated, bolt means slidable in said rotor between a battery and a retracted position for moving the cartridges simultane-V ously between said secondary chambers and the cartridge chambers, said bolt being joined to saidl rotor for rotation therewith when away from the battery position, an operating rod movable between a forward and a rearward position in response to the firing of a rifle, cam means cooperating with said rotor and said operating rod for rotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers, l ig means on said operating rod engageable with said bolt yfor actuation thereof after said secondary chambers are rotated into alignment with theirrespective cartridge chambers, recesses formed in the breech ends of the barrels, extractor-portions extending `forwardly from said bolt for reception in said recesses when said bolt is in battery position and rotatably free of said rotor to secure said bolt against rotation, .and means for rotating said rotor relative to said bolt after said operating rod is disengaged from said' bolt to block said bolt in the battery position.

7. In a rie having a receiver with a magazine well for attaching a magazine for cartridges to the firearm 4and for passing the cartridges from the magazine into tridge chambers communicate with the interior of thev receiver, an operating rod actuatable between a forward and a rearward position responsive to the ring of the rifle, a rotor having secondary chambers alignable with respective cartridge chambers and being loadable from the magazine well during rotation of said rotor, an axial bore through said rotor for slidably receiving said operating rod therethrough, pin means extending from said rotor into said bore, a bolt mounted in said rotor for slidable movement between a retracted and a battery position, engagement means rotatably mounted in said bolt, lug means on said operating rod cooperable with said engagement means for moving said bolt between the retracted and battery positions during a predetermined portion of the travel of said operating rod between the forward and rearward positions thereof, breech closure portions on said bolt slidable in said secondary chambers for moving the cartridges simultaneously between the chambers of the barrels and said secondary chambers, an annular ange around the circumference of the front end of said rotor extending forwardly for rotatable engagement with the breech ring to form a chamber for receiving said breech closure portions when said bolt is in the battery position and freeing said bolt from said rotor to permit relative rotational movement therebetween, cam grooves extending along said operating rod for slidably receiving said pin means, said cam grooves having a loading portion whereby said rotor is rotated sulficiently for all of said secondary chambers to move into communication with the magazine well during travel of said operating rod from the forward to the rearward position thereof and for returning said secondary chambers into alignment with their respective cartridge chambers during travel of said operating rod from the retracted to the forward position, also Va chambering portion arranged parallel to the axis of said operating'rod for maintaining said rotor against rotation and said secondary chambers in alignment with the respective chambers in the barrels while said bolt is actuated between the retracted and battery positions by the engagement of said engagement means with said lug means, and a locking portion for rotating said rotor in back of said breech closure members to move said secondary chambers away from said breech closure portions for blocking rearward movement of said bolt when in the battery position and for rotating said rotor to unblock said bolt when said operating rod moves to the rearward position when the rlie is red. Y t

8. In a rifle having a receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto and a plurality of barrels with chambers for thercartridges, a rotor having secondary chambers alignable with respective cartridge chambers and being loadable from the magazine during rotation of said rotor, an operating rod actuatable between a forward and a rearward position responsive to the firing of the riiie, a bolt mounted in said rotor for slidable movement between a battery and a retracted position, breech closure portions extending radially from said bolt and being slidable in said secondary chambers for moving the cartridges simultaneously between said secondary chambers and the cartridge chambers during actuation of said bolt, pin means on said rotor, cam grooves on said operating rod cooperable with said pin means for rotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers and align the loaded secondary chambers with their respective chambers in the barrels during actuation of said operating rod, and lug means on said operating rod engageable with said bolt for actuating said bolt between the battery and retracted positions thereof while a portion of said cam grooves extending parallel to the axis of said operating rod holds said rotor against rotation to maintain said secondary chambers in alignment with the chambers in the barrels.

9. In a rifle having a receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto and a plurality of barrels with chambers for the cartridges, a rotor having secondary chambers alignable with respective cartridge chambers and loadable from the magazine during rotation of said rotor, an operating rod actuatable between a forward and a rearward position responsive to the firing of the rifle, a bolt mounted in said rotor for slidable movement between a battery and a retracted position, breech closure portions extending radially from said bolt to be slidingly received by said secondary chambers for moving the cartridges simultaneously between said secondary chambers and the cartridge chambers during actuation of said bolt, pin means on said rotor, cam grooves on said operating rod cooperable with said pin means for rotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers and align the loaded secondary chambers with their respective chambers in the barrels during actuation of said operating rod, lug means on said operating rod engageable with said bolt for actuation thereof between the battery and retracted positions while a portion of said cam grooves extending parallel to the axis of said operating rod holds said rotor against rotation and maintains said secondary chambers in alignment with the chambers in the barrels, means rotated by said rotor for disengaging said operating rod from said bolt when said bolt approaches battery position to permit said operating rod to proceed uninterruptedly to the forward position after delivering said bolt to the battery position.

10. In a rie having a receiver with an attached magazine for supplying cartridges thereto and a plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers, a rotor rotatably mounted in the receiver and provided with secondary chambers alignable with respective cartridge chambers for receiving cartridges from the magazine when said rotor is rotated, bolt means slidable in said rotor between a battery and a retracted position for moving the cart-ridges simultaneously between said secondary chambers and the cartridge chambers, said bolt means being joined to said rotor for rotation therewith when away from the battery position, an operating rod movable between a forward and a rearward position in response to the tiring of the rie, cam means cooperating with said rotor and said operating rod for rotating said rotor to load said secondary chambers, lug means on said operating -rod engageable with said bolt for actuation thereof when said secondary chambers are rotated into alignment with their respective cartridge chambers, extractor portions extending forwardly from said bolt for reception in recesses in the breech end of the barrels when said bolt is in battery position and rotatably free of said rotor to secure said bolt against rotation, means rotated by said rotor for disengaging said operating rod from said bolt means when said bolt approaches battery position to permit said operating rod to proceed uninterruptedly to the forward position after delivering said bolt to the battery position, and means for rotating said rotor relative to said bolt after said operating rod is disengaged from said bolt for rotating said rotor to block said bolt in the battery position.

1l. In a rifle having a receiver with a magazine well for attaching a magazine for cartridges to the firearm and for passing the cartridges from the magazine into the receiver, a breech ring attached to the front end of the receiver and a plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers mounted to the breech ring whereby the cartridge chambers communicate with the interior of the receiver, an operating rod actuatable between a forward and a rearward position responsive to the ring of the riile, a rotor having secondary chambers alignable with respective cartridge chambers and being loadable from the magazine well during rotation of said rotor, an axial bore through said rotor for slidably receiving said operating rod therethrough, pin means extending from said rotor into said bore, a bolt mounted in said rotor for slidable movement between a retracted and a battery position, engagement means rotatably mounted in said bolt, lug means on said operating rod cooperable with said engagement means for moving said bolt between the retracted and battery positions during a predetermined portion of the travel of said operating rod between the forward and rearward positions thereof, breech closure portions on said bolt slidable in said secondary chambers for moving the cartridges simultaneously between the chambers of the barrels and said secondary chambers, an annular flange around the circumference of the front end of said rotor extending forwardly for rotatable engagement with the breech ring to form a chamber for receiving said breech closure portions when said bolt is in the battery positions and to free said bolt from said rotor to permit relative rotational movement therebetween, cam grooves extending along said operating rod for slidably receiving said pin means, said cam grooves having a loading portion whereby said rotor is rotated suflciently for all of said secondary chambers to pass into communication with the magazine well during travel of said operating rod from the forward to the rearward position thereof and for returning said secondary chambers into alignment with their respective cartridge chambers during travel of said operating rod from the retracted to the forward position, also a chambering portion arranged parallel to the axis of said operating rod for maintaining said rotor against rotation and said secondary chambers in alignment with the respective chambers in the barrels while said bolt is actuated between the retracted and battery positions by the engagement of said engagement means with said lug means, and a locking portion for rotating said rotor in back of said breech closure portions to move said secondary chambers away from said breech closure portions for blocking rearward movement of said bolt when in the battery position and for rotating said rotor to unblock said bolt when said operating rod moves to the rearward position when the 1 1 ritie is red, a firing pin: slidably mounted` in'. each of said breech closure portions for actuationhagainst the cartridges chamberedfin the barrels, and! a striker means in' said rotor alignab'le with each ofs'ai'd firing pins'when saidrotor isrotated to-bloclosaid bolt in battery position for firing thel chamberedartridges. v

1.2. A rie having alreceiver with. anattached magazine for supplying cartridges: thereto, a. plurality of barrels with cartridge chambers mounted to said receiver, an operating rod actuat'edibyy gases. generatedrin onev of said barrels, a rotor mounted in said receiver for rotation by saidy operating rod, secondary chambersy insaid rotor alignable withi respective chambers in said barrel for re- UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,335,839 Johnston Apr; 6*, 1920 

